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Former Cranes coach Sebastien Desabre guides DRC to AFCON finals

11:43 - 10 September 2023

Sebastien Desabre guided DRC to the 2023 AFCON|COURTESY

This comes days after his predecessor and successor in Uganda, Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic failed to usher the latter to the AFCON tournament slated for Cote D'Ivoire next year.

Less than a year since his appointment as head coach of Democratic Republic of Congo, former Uganda Cranes head coach Sebastien Desabre has shepherd the country to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

This comes days after his predecessor and successor in Uganda, Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic failed to usher the latter to the AFCON tournament slated for Cote D'Ivoire next year.

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Desabre achieved the feat with DRC, just a year into his tenure, having been appointed in August last year.

Éliminatoires CAN Côte d’ivoire 2024: Parcours élogieux des Léopards sous l’ère Sébastien DESABRE https://t.co/jgrqSnhcE1 via @InfosWangu pic.twitter.com/xO9FEQpgX4
— Wangu infos (@InfosWangu) September 10, 2023

DRC comfortably dispatched off Sudan 2-0 on Saturday, courtesy of Theo Bongonda and former Young Africans SC talisman Fiston Mayele.

The result took DRC to the top of Group I with 12 points, as they made their 20th Africa Cup of Nations qualification. Mauritania finished second, and hit Cote D'Ivoire as well.

Ils nous a trouvé avec une série de 7 match sans victoire, dernier de notre groupe avec zéro (0) pts, nous a ramené dans la course, nous a qualifié en finissant premier du groupe avec un bilan personnel de 5 matchs sans défaites mesdames et messieurs SEBASTIEN DESABRE ya seba ✨ pic.twitter.com/KG2cac5qvG
— liwej 🌐 (@NawejOliver) September 9, 2023

DRC are two-time Africa Cup of Nations champions, having won the tournament in 1968 and 1974 at the expense of Ghana and Zambia, respectively.

On ne parle pas assez du travail monstre que ce mec a réalisé
Il reprend une sélection blessée après l’éliminatoire de la coupe du monde
Deux défaites d’affilée face au Gabon et Soudan
6 matchs avec lui dont 4 officiels et 2 amicaux
4 matchs officiels c’est 4 victoires , pic.twitter.com/Uyi9S2avJK
— J O E 🦁🎱 (@joe4thereal) September 9, 2023

It should be noted that Desabre's last AFCON tournament was with the Uganda Cranes in 2019, and beat DRC in the first game 2-0 courtesy of Patrick Kaddu and Emmanuel Okwi.

At the time, Uganda made it up to the Last 16, before getting dumped out by Senegal after a slim 1-0 defeat in Egypt.